Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-01-14

Under tho net of congress granting al,
swamp and overllOwed lands 10 the state
|3'3. ~ acres were reported 10y the sec
rotary OF interior as coming within tho
grant, but of this amount only 1858. 3l1. Il
acres have been patented TO the state. leav-
Ing balance due the state OF Liza, So. IS
Most OF the balance has been disposed OF
by the government, for which claims have
been put in and indemnity will lie granted
The advisory board in the matter OF
pardonS ha, been of incalculablo benefit to
the executive. Under the law creating it,
II has been possible to accomplish very
much that otherwise could not have been
! done. The great amount OF work which
the executive OF n large state is obliged to
perform makes 1t utterly impossible for
him 20 examine all the applications for
pardon, and without n board similar to
this many deserving cases must have been
neglected; and 10 Is much better for the
state 10 appropriate the small sum ncces-
sary TO carry along It's work than To allow
single Innocent person to suffer inn
prisonment. / recommend that an appro-
priation he made for salary for clerk OF
the board, at $1,000 per annum, besides n
sum for the work OF tho board equal TO
the former appropriation. The work has
been SO much more extensive than was
anticipated that the appropriation having
been exhausted for such clerk, the mem
bers of the board, who received pay only
when actually employed, are paving the
clerk out of their own private means.
An examination Of the prison records
shows very great and unjust inequality
OF sentences for the same crime by the
judges OF the different courts of the state.
In many instances the sentence Is three or
four times as long as in Others. for the
same Onense. / recommend that this
advisory board be charged with the duty
of thoroughly overhauling the prison
records, and Of recomme nding 70 the ex-
ecutiye such combinations as viii in a
measure equaliZe these punishments.
/ believe, i'll view OF the fact that so
many people are imprisoned who are not
OF the criminal class, IL would be wise, lust
and humane TO pass law establishing n
ticket-ofleave system, 10 bo guarded, OF
course with every possible restriction, 70
be operated much the same nS in the state
of Ohio. and when it Is thought prisoner
will reform II given an opportunity. How
ever, connected with il should Toe n law
enacted that by n simple process the per
son can be apprehended and returned to
prison TO serve out the balance Of hi> SEN
tence IL he violated his parole. IL Is great
pity that we have no really intermediate
grade OF prison where convict, not OF the
criminal class can be kept separate from
this worst element.
The statute authorizing the foreclosure
OF real estate mortgages should be- so
amended as 70 require personal service Of
a copy Of the notice on the owner OF he
property. The governor also puts il n
plea for the railroads, which do work
cheaply and give support TO many men,
and hopes no legislation Will be passed in
regard 10 them which will effect the pros
perity of the state.
The state troops are thoroughly armed
and equipped and the department lis out
of debt. No finer body of men is enrolled
in any state. The discipline in camp when
men are off duty can be improved. The
military academy at Orchard Lake is com
mended for its work and a law recon-
mcnded authorizing the executive e. com
mission its graduates and those OF the
military department OF the agricultural
college as line officers OF this state without
commission and without pay.
In my inaugural two years since
recommended the abolition of the contract
labor system; when. at the closing
hours OF the session OF the legislature
such q bill was passed, after ma
ture thought / felt obliged TO defeat the
measure and prevent 1t from becoming a
law. This was very humiliating 10 me for
the reason that had to publicly confess
that my recommendation that such law
be passed was not well considered. Since
that time have taken much pains 20 get
all the light possible upon the subject and
the more | investigate the matter the
stronger are my convictions that the CON
tract system Is the safest and ought to
stand There are but four conditions pos
sible t. adopt for convlcts. These are the
contract system, the piece price system,
the state account system, and idttneSs. The
latter am sure you Will not consider for
n moment, as u means solitary cuntlne-
ment degeneration and destruction. This
then. reduces the number 10 three. The
whole question resolves itself into this
alone-shall the state sell its prison labor,
thus Kidding itself OF all financial RESPONSE
billty and risk of loss with certainty as
TO its income. or shall it 90 into business
on its own account with all IL. risk and
opportunity for bad management! The
product will be the same under either OF
the systems, and the consequent cOmpeti-
tion 10 honest labor necess ,1rily the same.
Prison employees will guard the mon. and
mechanics superintend the work the same
a now Then what viii Ice the difference
None. 80 far as the care OF the men ana
amount Of their product Is concerned
The piece price system differs from the
contract system only that the state fur
nishes the labor and the contractor the
material. The competition 10 the outside
world Is Just the same as. the contract
system. only the state taxes all the risk ~
hreakages aud imperfect goods furnished
The state account -ystem means al
ways an immense loss and sure
70 be abandoned, in my opinion, 10y every
state. ultimately, which adopts II. II yC,
close out the contractors you can, perhaps
purchase their machinery, but not theil
business. Their customers are their own
but not yours You can find an army o
men who will be only too willing to wOrl
for n rich state. tut where will the re
sponSibiity liei Then who is % manage
this business ii there Is a change in thu al
ministration, and, il the law retain tn;
warden during good behavior, who is 70
be the judge of such behavior And, IL he
is incompetent or dishonest. who is going
TO take his place. ! tell you. gentlemen,
no man can fill such position be he never
so honest and capable; no man can super
intend a business until he learns il from
the root up. Even were all this state ac-
count successful. where is the competition
to honest toll TO he changed.
Much is said concerning the il-treatment
OF prisoners; that they are overworked by
{ contractors, etc. etc. IL this be true the
! warden alone Is TO be blamed; "a he and
! his keepers have entire charge OF them
| the contractors have nothing To do con.
! corning their discipline. | confess 20 hav-
ing no patience with people making such
! charges.
/ Attention is called to the Importance OF
/ urging on the government the improve
ment OF the Portage ship canals and to the
necessity OF solving the question OF immi
! grafton; n memorial on the latter subject
/ Is recommended asking that foreign-born
paupers, criminals, insane and infirm he
excluded. The immigration OF Chinese
( should be stopped and polygamy strangled
now.